A reckoning. A rebellion. The worlds of artificial intelligence and ancient magic collide.
Crystal City glistens with diamonds, but its dazzling beauty comes at a deadly price. The capital of Khalendar thrives on a steady supply of gemstones from the neighboring Barrens, a colony of the Empire.
Walter Saltanetska translates AI code for the Khalendar government, helping to breathe life into the ambitious vision of the AI Masters. When Walter discovers a terrible secret which could destroy the life of his lover, Elaine, he decides to tell her despite strict orders to keep what he translates confidential.
What begins as a catastrophe eventually grows into a rebellion. Elaine is taken captive by the AI Masters, and Walter must do everything in his power to rescue her. He starts his quest with a single goal in mind, finding Elaine, but along the way Walter discovers that saving her is only a small part of his destiny. During his travels, he encounters a long-lost relative, a warrior matriarch, and a mystical kingdom forgotten to time. Yet Walter's true journey occurs not in physical space, but the captivating depths of his mind.
An inventive blend of science-fiction and dystopian fantasy, the Jade Rebellion explores whether we can overcome technological determinism by preserving history, nature, spirituality, and ultimately, our humanity.
Incredible story that kept me gripped from the very first page. Not my usual genre, it is spellbinding. Blending magic and technology in a unique way. I was so invested in the characters and the plot I forgot I was reading- so absorbed in the story. Already pre ordered book 2. This is one of those rare books that stands out from hundreds of others.
The Jade Rebellion by Alanna Mackenzie jumps right into the story, as Walter seeks to find a way to free his friend Elaine from a prison ship bound for a forsaken penal colony. This is a world where machines have taken over, subjugating humanity. They've fostered a technocracy where consumerism is king among the humans. Through lucky coincidence Walter is recruited by a rebel group to rescue the prisoners before they can be shipped off. His adventures take him to Serrahan, home of the Western Mages. It is with the help of the Mages that the Jade Rebellion hopes to overcome the AIs and free humanity.
I adored the cover to this arcanepunk story! It's simply gorgeous. I liked the concept of the story- artificial intelligence Vs magic, nature wisdom Vs technology. There's much potential here. It's a treatise on the dangers of letting our technology rule us and forgetting the magic of our natural world. I loved the use of Celtic myth with the Serrahan clans. The writing is lyrical prose, though there was quite a bit of exposition. The characters came across as flat. Fleshed out, I think they'd be awesome. As is, I didn't really gel with any. I never got fully invested in them. Indeed, I think my favourite character was Nuada, who was a support character. The author certainly has talent, and I look forward to seeing them grow in their writing.
I love magic and I love science fiction, so it’s no surprise to find I was eager to dive into The Jade Rebellion. With a world that offers us both artificial intelligence and magic, I was desperate to see how things would play out.
The Jade Rebellion is set in an interesting universe, one that certainly pulled me in. It merges science fiction and fantasy in a wonderful way, creating one of those rare situations where you can clearly see the influences of both. Individually, the two aspects are well done. Combined, the two aspects make for an interesting world. With so much to learn, you’ll find yourself hooked to each of the elements as they unfold.
Although I really enjoyed the world, I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t crazy about the characters. I never really came to connect to them, despite how interesting their stories were. In the second part of the book, we got to see things from more points of view, and I enjoyed this second more, but I wasn’t quite as won over by the characters as I had hoped to be. I think my issue is I never felt the emotional connection to them. Things felt a wee bit too clinical in how they were approached, and I felt like an outsider looking in.
Despite this, the story kept me more than interested. I was curious to see how everything came together, intrigued by the way things grew throughout, and the ending has left me curious to see what the world brings us next. The Jade Rebellion is the tip of the iceberg in the universe, and I’m sure there is plenty of goodness waiting for us in the future of the series.
Science fiction with AI, magic, and all of that mixed into a rebellion...this one was a definite 'read-me-please'.
AI Masters have taken over, leaving humans to exist either on the pitiful side of society or under constant, close watch in the sparkling city. Walter has a special knack for coding and has earned the right to work in a good job. But when his own mistake has the girl he likes captured and placed on a ship to an island, which, according to rumor, is barely better than a prison, he's determined to save her. Although this endeavor alone is already enough for a huge adventure, it's only the first small pebble in what fate really holds for him.
The world in this book is rich. The author has set up a future, which is not only intriguing, but also done a terrific job at describing it and letting it come to life. The misery and fear is tangible, but yet, the amazing scifi end and magic give it a fantastical flair. Myth, spirits and simply magic mix in seamlessly with the 'evil' AI intelligence, futuristic technology, and dystopian environment. It made my scifi/fantasy heart beat faster and was a treat to discover.
The tale itself is well woven with tons of twists and turns. Walter is in for quite the ride just as such a rich world demands. There are subplots and secrets upon secrets. It's impossible to guess what will happen next, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the end.
With so much goodness, this book promises to be a wonderful read. Unfortunately, the characters fell more than short. While potentially more than interesting, they are stuck an arm length's away thanks to the writing style. The dialogue, especially in the earlier part of the book, is almost non-existent, allowing everything to unfold as if watching it but not being there. I wanted to love them but never got to get close to any of them. Also, this is sold as a young adult novel, but Walter didn't give me the impression of being a teenager. He'd already passed tests to enter a profession and his actions, while risky, were too mature. Not that this would have mattered, since adults (and YA) would have loved the story if the characters had been easier to connect with.
Summed up, there is tons and tons of awesomeness in these pages. The world building and basic concepts...as well as the plot...promise so much and deliver. If the characters had been more 'real', it would have blown me away.
I was granted complimentary access to The Jade Rebellion as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Lola's Blog Tours. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
I jumped at the chance to review these books when they came up with Lola's because I was interested in book two when it was on NetGalley recently but realized the books needed to be read in order. What luck that this tour was offering both!
This is a fascinating book about a man in a dystopian AI-ruled future who's risking everything to get the love of his life out of jail. It's a brilliant mix of science fiction and fantasy with a great magic system that blends seamlessly with futuristic technology, and the plot is absolutely full of twists, false promises, and dead ends that really keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
The reason this isn't a 4 or 5 star read for me (but came very close to 4 and I'm rounding it up on Goodreads/retailers) is because I didn't feel like a participant in this story at all. As the reader, I always felt like I was watching at arm's length. None of the characters pulled me in and took me with them. It didn't spoil the world or my enjoyment of the plot, but it made the book feel longer than it was in an "I'll finish later" sort of way.Overall this is a solid start to what sounds like a great series. SFF readers, check it out!
The Jade Rebellion is my first reading of this author, but I recognize a quality science fiction voice who constructs chapters in a head-spinning, propulsive way. The result is a story that exists in another world, and yet touches our own.
I haven't read anything by this author before, but I certainly will - a promising new voice in scifi. An interesting main character, a compelling story - I liked and enjoyed it. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, thank you! All opinions are my own.
It is a great debut novel. I really enjoyed reading it. The world building is amazing. I definitely recommend this book to everyone.
The first thing I need to say is this book has an amazing front cover! Just look at it, WOW. MacKenzie has created a great debut novel and I am excited to see what she does next. The book is not perfect but who's first novel is, it is interesting and has room for a lot of development.
I am finding this book to be a great joy to read. A compelling adventure, a fine twist on the fantasy sci-fi genres, much character to the characters - it is a good story, and I recommend it to all.
A great read! With action, fantasy, and a well crafted universe, this world feels strikingly familiar as a cautionary tale.
With a mostly young set of characters, with a dystopia near-future setting where most of the world is ruled by AI overlords, and with an exploration of big ideas (like, what does it mean to be human, what does it mean to be conquered, what does it mean to be religious, what does it mean to be believe in magic, what does it mean to be believe in rationality, and, why do the economically and politically powerful try to kill the earth) this book would make a compelling senior high novel study.
